This invention relates to a method of manufacturing an automotive trim component/article, as well as to the resulting trim component/article itself. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of utilizing vacuum-forming in combination with vibration welding in the manufacture of an automotive trim component/article.
It is known to apply automotive trim components (or articles) to the exterior of vehicles such as cars and trucks. Examples of automotive trim components (or articles) include bodyside moldings, bumper covers, claddings, wheel covers, wheel flare moldings, A B C and D pillars, and the like. FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 3 including respective doors 5 and 7. Attached to the exterior of vehicle 3 is an automotive trim component in the form of bodyside molding 9.
Automotive trim components have often been manufactured utilizing an injection molding process. In injection molding, semi-molten plastic material is injected into a cavity defined by one or more die(s). The cavity within the die(s) is in the form of the trim component to be manufactured. After the semi-molten plastic material has been injected into the cavity, it is permitted to cool and is thereafter removed from the cavity in the form of an automotive trim component which can be attached to the exterior of a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a bodyside molding 9, as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,522 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference). Bodyside molding 9 includes elongated body 11 integrally formed with mounting structure 13. Typically, mounting structure 13 and elongated body 11 are formed in a single injection molding process, so that the mold die defines and allows formation of body 11 and mounting structure 13 simultaneously in one mold cavity. Optionally, T-shaped tab 15 may be utilized in conjunction with mounting structure 13 in order to attach bodyside molding 9 to the exterior of a vehicle via molding 9""s interior side 17.
Unfortunately, it is not always desirable to manufacture bodyside moldings using an injection molding process. Large scale injection molding devices (i.e., tooling) are very costly and often can be burdensome. Moreover, color pigment and/or metallizing particles in the semi-molten material may not be as uniformly distributed as would be desired when sharp comers and/or walls are required to be formed in an injection molding cavity.
It is also known to form automotive trim components using vacuum forming techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,712 discloses the use of vacuum forming in the manufacture of a plastic automotive body panel.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to manufacture a bodyside molding such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 using vacuum forming, because mounting structure 13 projects outwardly from the interior surface of the molding component at a large angle (i.e., there is no flow of molten plastic material in vacuum forming). In other words, it is not practical to utilize vacuum-forming to manufacture a product such as that shown in FIG. 2 where one or more projections extend outwardly at a large angle (e.g., from about 70-110xc2x0) from the surface of the component.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,643 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference) discloses an automotive bumper. The bumper includes a mount structure vibration welded to an injection molded body. Unfortunately, the ""643 patent does not recognize the problems associated with large scale injection molding tooling and/or processes. It is undesirable to utilize large scale injection molding tooling for at least the cost reasons discussed above.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there exists a need for a method of manufacturing an automotive trim component (or article) including a protruding mounting structure thereon, wherein the use of large scale injection molding tooling can be avoided. There also exists a need in the art for a method of manufacturing an automotive trim component (or article) utilizing a vacuum forming technique, wherein mounting structures and the like may be efficiently attached to the component following the vacuum forming process.
It is an object of this invention to manufacture an automotive trim component (or article) without the need for utilizing large scale injection molding tooling. The use of small scale injection molding tooling may be desirable in certain embodiments of this invention, but an object is to avoid the use of large scale injection molding tooling for the forming of entire trim components/articles.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an automotive trim component using at least a vacuum-forming process, wherein a mounting structure can be efficiently attached to a vacuum-formed base.
Another object of this invention is to manufacture an automotive trim component using vacuum-forming in combination with vibration welding.
Another object of this invention is to manufacture a automotive trim component by at least: 1) vacuum forming a base, 2) injection molding a mounting structure, and 3) using vibration welding to attach the injection molded mounting structure to the vacuum formed base.
Another object of this invention is to fulfill one or more of the above listed needs and/or objects.
Certain embodiments of this invention fulfill one or more of the aforesaid needs and/or objects by providing a method of manufacturing an automotive trim component, the method comprising the steps of:
extruding a colored and metallized sheet having one or more layers;
vacuum-forming the colored and metallized sheet into a three dimensionally shaped preform; and
vibration welding a mounting structure to a surface of the three dimensionally shaped preform in order to form an automotive trim component.